America Ferrera Didn’t Win Oscar but Still Inspires Latinas

There is a cause why we’re nonetheless speaking about America Ferrera’s “Barbie” monologue months after the blockbuster was launched. Whereas presenting the Finest Supporting Actress award in the course of the 2024 Oscars, Rita Moreno gave an emotional speech about Ferrera, who was nominated for her position of Gloria within the pink-filled movie. Whereas Ferrera did not wind up taking house an Oscar — the award as an alternative went to Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph for her position in “The Holdovers” — Moreno’s speech left of us within the viewers making an attempt to grasp why.

“America. Your highly effective Barbie monologue is maybe essentially the most talked-about second in essentially the most talked-about film of the previous 12 months,” Moreno mentioned. “Your phrases and the eagerness with which you delivered them about essentially the most not possible requirements females should attempt to dwell as much as galvanized not solely ladies however everybody with a pulse.”

Even the best way Moreno pronounced “America,” with a Spanish accent and in a sing-song-y voice referencing her iconic position in “West Aspect Story,” was highly effective. It made the assertion that ladies like Ferrera are simply as American as anybody else residing on this nation.

By now, many individuals have seen Gloria’s impactful speech by which she tells Margot Robbie’s Barbie the reality of what it means to be a lady. She breaks down all of the not possible and contradicting expectations which are always positioned on ladies.

The transferring monologue pulled on the viewers’s coronary heart strings as a result of it put in plain phrases what ladies have needed to endure for hundreds of years and in right now’s nonetheless very patriarchal society. The truth that this speech was delivered by a Latina actress enjoying a Latina character made it resonate that rather more for me. For any girl who holds intersectional identities, society’s not possible expectations turn out to be that rather more not possible.

As Latinas, we’re advised we have to be skinny no matter if we have had kids or not and no matter any well being points we’d have. However we additionally must have massive boobs, a giant butt, and large hips — therefore why cosmetic surgery is so common in our communities. We’ve got to be robust however we are also anticipated to be submissive, particularly with our companions. We’re advised we have to lead and carry everybody from our spouses to our youngsters, but when we pour into ourselves, we’re egocentric. We’re presupposed to be lovely and attractive sufficient to make any man lust over us, but when we’re too attractive, we’re sluts and we deserve no matter disrespect males throw at us.

Whereas we nonetheless very a lot dwell in a patriarchal society, I’m proud to be a Latina residing in a time the place we’re lastly inspired to like ourselves and acknowledge that regardless of the unrealistic expectations which are always positioned on us, we’re actually, sufficient. I’m proud to be residing at a time when ladies are lastly throwing these oppressive expectations out the window and giving much less f*cks about current to please the male gaze. We’re loving ourselves no matter our physique form or dimension. We’re embracing growing older and recognizing our price, even when meaning being “boy sober” or refusing to permit the organic clock dictate our lives.

Ferrera ends her highly effective speech saying, “I am simply bored with watching myself and each single different girl tie herself into knots so that individuals will like us. And if all of that can be true for a doll representing ladies, then I do not even know.”

Whereas the patriarchy has continued to exist for the reason that “Barbie” film got here out and since Ferrera’s monologue went viral, I’m pleased with the affect it has had on so many women and girls. Generally all it takes is having our experiences defined proper again at us for us to determine we’re now not giving in to the strain.

Ferrera may not have taken house an award Sunday evening, however just like the true artist and changemaker she is, she left a mark with that speech that’s already creating shifts in our tradition. Her efficiency is only one step ahead towards future generations of women and girls not having to expertise the not possible expectations which have given us a lot grief for hundreds of years. That is price greater than any Oscar in my e book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqlDWHkdHk

Johanna Ferreira is the content material director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With greater than 10 years of expertise, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central a part of Latine tradition. Beforehand, she spent shut to a few years because the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she or he has freelanced for quite a few shops together with Refinery29, Oprah journal, Attract, InStyle, and Properly+Good. She has additionally moderated and spoken on quite a few panels on Latine id. .